Winter planting can net blossoming garden

By Angela O'Callaghan

Thursday, Jan. 15, 2009 | midnight

Once the new year has started, the intrepid Mojave Desert horticulturist needs to begin planning the next garden, no matter that it will be a long time before it is technically spring. Our extended cold snap and the startling snows that made this desert look like a winter wonderland will soon be only a curious memory with temperatures climbing into more familiar territory.

If the results from last year's garden were disappointing, this might be the time to make a new start. Likewise if plants suffered from the onslaughts of our surprisingly chilly winter.

If certain garden plants look as if they did not survive the cold, they will need to be cut back, to get rid of dead tissue. If they had been fairly well established before they were injured, they might produce new top growth after that pruning.

Many species of trees should be pruned while they are still leafless. This is the best time to see the architecture of the branches. Pruning before the leaves begin to bud allows the gardener to direct new growth into the shape you want while putting less stress on the tree. Remember that fruit trees should be pruned differently from ornamental ones, and some fruit trees should be pruned a couple of weeks later than ornamentals. There are quite a few Internet publications on fruit tree pruning; make sure that the information is appropriate for a location with a southwestern climate. The enormous variation in temperature and moisture will impact how best to care for fruit trees.

For certain shrubs, this can be a time to do some dramatic pruning. Bushes that flower late in the season, lantana for instance, or Texas ranger, can be cut almost to the ground during the bleak days of our mid-winter. If these plants have developed a large amount of wood that does not produce flowers, they should be pruned in this manner.

"Garden" often means "vegetable garden" however, and the quest for terrific tasting, homegrown vegetables is eternal. With the economy having fallen into a whirlpool, some people are looking at growing home vegetables. Whatever the motivation, a home vegetable garden will have certain needs. In horticulture, as in the rest of life, success requires preparation.

Light, soil and water are the critical elements for plant growth. While that might sound like a very simple recipe for a garden, these "ingredients" cover a large territory. Good gardening means taking those ingredients into consideration before doing the fun stuff — seed or plant selection, and picking out garden decoration.

Over the next few weeks, I will devote this column to each of these key elements. The time for planting will be here so soon, and a well placed and well prepared garden will have a good chance of being a productive one.

Angela O’Callaghan is the area specialist in social horticulture for the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. She can be reached c/o the Home News, 2360 Corporate Circle, Third Floor, Henderson, NV 89074, or [email protected].